What are your thoughts on the ancient astronaut hypothesis?

[Only the Best]

For those who aren't familiar with it, you can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancien...aut_hypothesis

Basically it's the idea that extraterrestrials visited Earth and made contact with our ancestors long ago.

I think it is probably true. It's one way of explaining, among other things, how and why humans were able to make the incredible leap in intelligence that no other species on this planet has been able to make. I know there's not much evidence for it, but there's not much evidence for any hypothesis that attempts to explain that, so it is just as viable as any other explanation at this point.

I believe Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (a leading ancient astronaut theorist) is an absolutely brilliant mind and, while he may be off about certain stuff, I think humanity could get a better sense of where we came from and how we got to this point if we were to take some of his ideas more seriously.

[Paranoid Android]

For those who aren't familiar with it, you can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancien...aut_hypothesis

Basically it's the idea that extraterrestrials visited Earth and made contact with our ancestors long ago.

I think it is probably true. It's one way of explaining, among other things, how and why humans were able to make the incredible leap in intelligence that no other species on this planet has been able to make. I know there's not much evidence for it, but there's not much evidence for any hypothesis that attempts to explain that, so it is just as viable as any other explanation at this point.

I believe Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (a leading ancient astronaut theorist) is an absolutely brilliant mind and, while he may be off about certain stuff, I think humanity could get a better sense of where we came from and how we got to this point if we were to take some of his ideas more seriously.

If people think there is some person above us, controlling our everyday lives, then sure.

[Garnier Fructis]

I believe Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (a leading ancient astronaut theorist) is an absolutely brilliant mind and, while he may be off about certain stuff, I think humanity could get a better sense of where we came from and how we got to this point if we were to take some of his ideas more seriously.

An absolutely brilliant mind who can't be arsed to check his "facts" before he regurgitates them for a "documentary."

Aliensdidit is every bit as lazy as Goddidit. Sure, why use reason and logic to discover how ancient structures were built when you can simply invoke aliens and skip all the hard work?

[Acelius]

A ridiculous concept.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't assume it without evidence.

The chance is so astronomically low that 1 and 2 are virtually the same.

[Kujako]

It basically boils down to people saying "I can't understand science, technology and advancements in either, so therefore no one else can and it must have been aliens".

[Deleted]

But were those caveman haunted?

[Kalis]

One question that I've yet to hear a satifactory explanation for is; why did people that had the ability to travel through space build stone monuments using copper tools?

[SL1200]

It's really good fictional entertainment. I like the show a lot.

[slime]

A ridiculous concept.

Almost as ridiculous as humanity itself.

[cubby]

For those who aren't familiar with it, you can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancien...aut_hypothesis

Basically it's the idea that extraterrestrials visited Earth and made contact with our ancestors long ago.

I think it is probably true. It's one way of explaining, among other things, how and why humans were able to make the incredible leap in intelligence that no other species on this planet has been able to make. I know there's not much evidence for it, but there's not much evidence for any hypothesis that attempts to explain that, so it is just as viable as any other explanation at this point.

I believe Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (a leading ancient astronaut theorist) is an absolutely brilliant mind and, while he may be off about certain stuff, I think humanity could get a better sense of where we came from and how we got to this point if we were to take some of his ideas more seriously.

The reason the Ancient Aliens hypothesis is so attractive to so many people is because human beings have a horrible sense of long-term perspective. We get about 100 years, max, on this planet, and that's just a recent phenomenon. We forget about huge news events after a month and we never learn from historical mistakes because we don't remember our own short history of conquering.

So thinking about something as big as 3 million years of evolutionary development is beyond almost everyone, including those people reading (and writing) this thread. The "incredible leap of intelligence" you mention didn't happen over night. It happened at the end of a billion+ years of evolution.

[Ealyssa]

Like wikipedia page said : "Pseudoscience" also known as bullshit.

When you don't have a fraction of scientific proof, don't bother talking.
And there was no "leap" in human evolution. Yep we evolved faster/deeper than other species on our planet. But that doesn't make a "leap", their is no missed step in our evolution where you could say "wait a minute, how did hummanity comme from A to B".

[ro9ue]

It's unlikely, but there's a small chance it could be true.

I still think it's a fascinating theory. The problem with it though of course is that it's based on a lot of wishy-washy stuff. It certainly get's more credence than any religion... because imo it actually explains those religions scientifically. All religions are super similar, it's possible the "sky beings" or whatever weren't divine gods, but were aliens.

I love this theory and everything about it, but it definitely should remain in the fiction section for now.

[slime]

One question that I've yet to hear a satifactory explanation for is; why did people that had the ability to travel through space build stone monuments using copper tools?

Maybe if they left us some computers or something it would be more obvious.. yes?

It is only slightly more believable than God... because... movies.

[Deleted]

I like the idea

[Kalis]

Maybe if they left us some computers or something it would be more obvious.. yes?

That doesn't really make any sense in realtion to my question, but yes, it would have been nice if they'd left us some technology that wasn't stone/bronze/iron age.

[Orange Joe]

One question that I've yet to hear a satifactory explanation for is; why did people that had the ability to travel through space build stone monuments using copper tools?

Maybe they taught us how to do these things with the tools we had?

[zebreck]

I am a prehistoric archaeologist. As in I have a Ph.D. in this subject, go to conferences, write papers, and generally hang out with other people who spend a lot of their lives thinking about and doing prehistoric archaeology. You can choose to believe that or not, this is the internet after all. In any case, through nearly 2 decades of my professional life I have never encountered a single archaeologist who gives any credit whatsoever to the ancient aliens hypothesis. There just aren't any open archaeological questions that are best resolved by AliensDidIt.

[ro9ue]

http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-...species-001059

[cubby]

One question that I've yet to hear a satifactory explanation for is; why did people that had the ability to travel through space build stone monuments using copper tools?

The biggest logical problem with the Ancient Aliens "proposition" is why would an alien species leave such a resource rich planet like this alone?